Golf: Gardner Municipal pro plans new short holes, renovations

Everyone in the golf business wants to grow the game. Gardner Municipal Golf Course golf pro Ben Egan believes he has found a way to do it.

Last year, Egan and Bill Frank hand-cut holes of 70, 80 and 100 yards in a field next to the maintenance building behind the second green, the third tee and the fourth green.

This year, Egan's application was accepted for a grant from the American Society of Golf Course Architects to pay for architect John Harvey of New Jersey to visit the course last month. Harvey wants to add a separate practice tee area so golfers can hit chips onto the three new greens and recommended some changes to the main course.

Egan plans to discuss Harvey's report and how to finance the project at the next golf commission meeting Aug. 29. Egan said Harvey told him he could help Gardner get funding. Harvey used to work under Rees Jones Sr.

"Basically," Egan said, "it's an area that young kids can play or the seasoned player can work on his wedge game.

"We need more golfers, everybody is getting older. Courses are too long, it takes too long to play. People are not aware of where they can learn to play."

The PGA of America and the American Society of Golf Course Architects want to solve those problems. Two years ago, they created the First Links program. Gardner is one of a handful of courses that received grants to have an architect see if he could help them.

Harvey also had some ideas to improve the main course. Geoffrey Cornish designed the second nine. Donald Ross' management company supposedly built the original nine of 1, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18, but Egan said there's no proof of that.

"He really liked those nine holes," Egan said of Harvey. "He said it would be great if we could bring back some of the characteristics of the original nine to the new nine, like the chocolate drops next to the 10th green and out on 15 with the hay on them."

Harvey also suggested enlarging some of the greens to bring the green-side bunkers more into play, cutting down more trees, and adding some fairway bunkers. Egan said if construction begins this fall, the practice area and par-3 holes could open next summer, but that would be the earliest.

"I think it's really important to get this built and get this done," Egan said. "It's an asset to us. Not a lot of places have stuff like that."

The short course would complement the club's range that has two sets of tees and a practice green.

Egan wants to help new golfers feel comfortable. He has begun some Get Golf Ready programs. Assistant pro Dan Berry has held junior and women's clinics.

Egan, 28, is playing more golf himself this year. He hasn't hit the ball as well as he'd like, but he's putting as well as ever.

"I've been going out with some members on weekends and playing a little bit," he said. "I'm not here 85 hours a week anymore."

His staff has increased, so he's able to play more. His staff includes Lydia Deneen, a Quabbin Regional graduate who will be a sophomore on the Holy Cross women's golf team this fall.

Last month, Egan shot a 2-under-par 70 in a NEPGA stroke play event at Spring Valley CC to finish second and qualify for the New England Open; teamed with Rusty Gunnerson of Rochester CC to shoot 3 under to tie for seventh in the NEPGA Senior-Junior at Pleasant Valley CC; and tied for ninth with an 8-over 78 in the NEPGA Massachusetts Chapter Stroke Play at Oak Hill.

Last week, he shot 77-81 to miss the cut in the Rhode Island Open. He plans to play on the NEPGA Championship this week.

Egan shot a 1-over 72 to win the Central Mass. Division 1 championship at Gardner his senior year at Gardner High, but he didn't golf in college while he learned the golf business at Methodist University in Fayetteville, N.C.

Egan replaced his father, Michael, as head pro at Gardner after he died on Sept. 2, 2008.

Egan spoke to a reporter while sitting on a sofa in his pro shop. Facing him was a wall that Egan referred to the "Wall of Egan" with plaques and awards honoring father and son.

Among them was the award presented annually to the Most Valuable Player of the Gardner High golf team in honor of Ben's dad. He'd be proud of his son for trying to get more people playing golf, the game he loved all of his life.

Captains a destination course

When a friend and I played The Captains in Brewster while on vacation on Cape Cod earlier this month, a single we hadn't met before joined us.

Of course, he turned out to be from Worcester. He was Joe Murphy, the retired principal at Burncoat High who moved to Brewster a few years ago. Murphy, 65, is a member of The Captains and said he often plays as a single. It's not unusual, he said, to end up playing with someone from the Worcester area.

Director of golf Mark O'Brien said visitors from outside the Cape account for most of the summer play at Captains.

"We do get a lot from Worcester and Central Mass.," O'Brien said.

The jaws of Murphy's guests drop when he tells them he pays only $750 a year to belong to The Captain's two 18-hole layouts, the Port and Starboard Courses.

"Once the expletives are deleted," he said, "they can't believe what you're getting for the price."

Murphy said last year he played at least one round at the Captains every month and about 35 rounds in all. One year, he became a member of the two courses in Dennis — Dennis Highlands and Dennis Pines — but decided he liked the Captains better and returned.

When he lived in Worcester, Murphy played mostly at Wachusett CC and a bit at Green Hill.

Seven days a week in the summer, 18-hole greens fees at The Captains cost $76 before 9 a.m., $69 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., $49 from 2 to 4 p.m., and $35 after 4. A cart costs $20 per person. Golfers can play a second 18 holes for $35, including cart.

The public can play nine holes for the first hour and a half of the day or after noon for $35.

Of The Captains' 950 members, 800 live in Brewster. Residents pay only $850 for unlimited memberships, $750 to play after 9 a.m. during the prime season or at any time during the offseason, or $399 for a twilight membership.

For the second year in a row, readers of Cape Cod Life magazine voted The Captains the best public golf course on the Lower Cape.

"I love the course," said Murphy, who carries a 14 handicap. "I can always get out. You call and they're always very considerate about trying to find a time to get you out. Both of them are challenging courses. I like the Port better because it's harder."

Brian Silva designed both courses. The first 18 holes, 10 from Starboard and eight from Port, opened in 1985, and the second course opened in 1999.

"People ask all the time which one I would recommend," O'Brien said. "I really don't have a recommendation. I would just say play the one that has a tee time closest to when you want to play or if you played one the last time, try the other one this time."

Both courses are par 72 and have four sets of tees ranging from about 5,300 yards to more than 6,700.

As part of the Tee It Forward initiative, forward family tees have been installed to shorten the Starboard Course to about 3,000 yards for golfers who find the regular length too long. O'Brien said hundreds of golfers have taken advantage.

"The people who have used it appreciate it and really like it," O'Brien said.

While we played the Starboard Course, a fox trotted across the fourth fairway. Murphy recalled the time a few years ago when a fox and her kits strolled ahead of his group and one of the kits picked up one of his playing partner's balls and ran off into the woods.

O'Brien said the rain in June and heat and humidity in July reduced business. From June 1 to the end of July, 16 inches of rain fell on the Captains.

"We normally have about three," O'Brien said.

The Captains did, however, enjoy its busiest July 4th weekend in O'Brien's 20 years at the club.

Harris goes low at Ellinwood

Mary Harris, 66, of Athol keeps getting better with age. The 17-time club champion at Ellinwood CC shot a career-best 74 at the Athol club last Sunday. Her previous best was a 76.

Ellinwood has added a set of forward tee markers to shorten the course for beginners to around 5,300 to 5,400 yards.

Contact Bill Doyle at wdoyle@telegram.com. Follow him on Twitter @BillDoyle15.